Police investigating homicide in The Highlands

Law enforcement officials work the scene of a homicide in the Highlands community on University Boulevard on Sunday night.

Robert Sutton | Tuscaloosa News

By Stephanie Taylor

Published: Monday, February 25, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, February 25, 2013 at 10:41 a.m.

TUSCALOOSA | Investigators are crafting a timeline of the past few days, weeks and months of Kate Ragsdale's life, with hopes that the information will lead to her killer.

A neighbor found Ragsdale, 73, dead at her home in The Highlands neighborhood Sunday afternoon after noticing several newspapers in her yard.

An autopsy conducted Monday revealed that she died from “sharp force trauma,” but authorities have not revealed the type of weapon used. Why anyone would kill the retired University of Alabama professor is still a mystery, said Capt. Loyd Baker, Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit commander.

“We have to see who her associates were, who she had come in contact with during the last few weeks or months. Did she have any problems with anyone?” he said. “Was this a random act of violence or theft? Those are the questions we have to answer.”

Ragsdale had been dead at her home in the upscale neighborhood for at least a few days, judging from the newspapers in her yard and the amount of medication left in prescription bottles, Baker said.

Police have learned when Ragsdale was last seen walking her dog, which was unharmed and is being cared for by neighbors.

“We're closing in on the date and possibly the time of the crime, we're just not there yet,” Baker said Monday afternoon.

Baker declined to say what kind of weapon was used or where in the house Ragsdale was found.

“We're withholding information because it allows us to cull false leads. There are certain facts about the scene that only we and the suspect know,” he said. “We don't know who the suspect is at this point, we don't know why he was there or how he got there. Once those things are determined, I'll have a better idea about the motive.”

Investigators took fingerprints from several items and collected evidence at the two-story house throughout the night Sunday and most of the day Monday. Autopsy results could lead investigators to something initially overlooked, Baker said.

The time elapsed between Ragsdale's death and the discovery of her body may not impact the investigation, he said.

“Obviously, the trail grows a little cold as time passes, but I don't think we are hindered severely by the amount of time that passed. We're only talking a few days,” he said.

Ragsdale retired from the University of Alabama's School of Library and Information Studies in 2006. She had served as an associate professor and the library system's planning officer before her retirement. The school honored her with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012.

City Councilman Kip Tyner first met Ragsdale at a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society in the mid-1980s.

“She was such a wonderful person. She's someone you could always count on when it came to wanting the best for east Tuscaloosa,” he said. “What a horrible, horrible tragedy.”

Tyner worked with Ragsdale last year as community members worked to circulate a petition protesting the possible location of Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility on University Boulevard.

“She was a wonderful community activist,” Tyner said. “She truly cared about her neighbors and her neighborhood.”

Ragsdale worked at UA from 1979 until her retirement in 2006. As planning officer, she oversaw library construction and renovation projects, including the construction of the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library, the Angelo Bruno Business Library, the Eric and Sarah Rodgers Library for Science and Engineering and the Libraries Annex, said UA spokeswoman Cathy Andreen. She was active in the Alabama Library Association serving on various committees, and received the University of Alabama Library Leadership Board's Faculty Award in 2004, she said.

“Kate Ragsdale played a key role in the growth and development of the university libraries in her long career as a planning officer, and had remained actively involved with the UA Retiree Association since her retirement in 2006,” Deborah M. Lane, associate vice president for university relations, wrote in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this difficult time.”

According to The Tuscaloosa News archives, Ragsdale was involved in civic organizations in Tuscaloosa for decades. She was a member of the Tuscaloosa Public Library board of directors and had been a longtime board member for West Alabama AIDS Outreach. She was an officer for the Tennis Patrons of Tuscaloosa, which sponsored a national youth tennis tournament here in the 1970s, and hosted foreign exchange students. As a member of the Junior League, she was instrumental in a program that used new methods to teach reading to elementary school students in the late 1970s.

Josephine Ayers, who lives in Anniston, knew Ragsdale as a child in North Carolina.

“Her father was in the state Legislature, so they would come to Raleigh to stay with his mother during every Legislative session,” Ayers said. “We were in kindergarten together in the 1940s and grew up together, going to Easter egg hunts, teen dances and we were debutantes together.”

Ayers hadn't seen Ragsdale in many years, but said that she and their group of friends from that time had been in touch after hearing the news of the death.

“It's just devastating,” she said.

Police have asked residents of The Highlands to not speak to the media while the investigation is ongoing. The only vehicles traveling the streets of the quiet neighborhood Monday afternoon were driven by workers from a locksmith and a burglar alarm company.

“This isn't the typical neighborhood that you find this type of crime in,” Baker said. “It's rare when you have a case like this, when an elderly person is attacked in their home by an unknown suspect. That's the worst possible crime.”

<p>TUSCALOOSA | Investigators are crafting a timeline of the past few days, weeks and months of Kate Ragsdale's life, with hopes that the information will lead to her killer. </p><p>A neighbor found Ragsdale, 73, dead at her home in The Highlands neighborhood Sunday afternoon after noticing several newspapers in her yard.</p><p>An autopsy conducted Monday revealed that she died from “sharp force trauma,” but authorities have not revealed the type of weapon used. Why anyone would kill the retired University of Alabama professor is still a mystery, said Capt. Loyd Baker, Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit commander.</p><p>“We have to see who her associates were, who she had come in contact with during the last few weeks or months. Did she have any problems with anyone?” he said. “Was this a random act of violence or theft? Those are the questions we have to answer.”</p><p>Ragsdale had been dead at her home in the upscale neighborhood for at least a few days, judging from the newspapers in her yard and the amount of medication left in prescription bottles, Baker said.</p><p>Police have learned when Ragsdale was last seen walking her dog, which was unharmed and is being cared for by neighbors. </p><p>“We're closing in on the date and possibly the time of the crime, we're just not there yet,” Baker said Monday afternoon.</p><p>Baker declined to say what kind of weapon was used or where in the house Ragsdale was found. </p><p>“We're withholding information because it allows us to cull false leads. There are certain facts about the scene that only we and the suspect know,” he said. “We don't know who the suspect is at this point, we don't know why he was there or how he got there. Once those things are determined, I'll have a better idea about the motive.”</p><p>Investigators took fingerprints from several items and collected evidence at the two-story house throughout the night Sunday and most of the day Monday. Autopsy results could lead investigators to something initially overlooked, Baker said.</p><p>The time elapsed between Ragsdale's death and the discovery of her body may not impact the investigation, he said.</p><p>“Obviously, the trail grows a little cold as time passes, but I don't think we are hindered severely by the amount of time that passed. We're only talking a few days,” he said.</p><p>Ragsdale retired from the University of Alabama's School of Library and Information Studies in 2006. She had served as an associate professor and the library system's planning officer before her retirement. The school honored her with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012.</p><p>City Councilman Kip Tyner first met Ragsdale at a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society in the mid-1980s.</p><p>“She was such a wonderful person. She's someone you could always count on when it came to wanting the best for east Tuscaloosa,” he said. “What a horrible, horrible tragedy.”</p><p>Tyner worked with Ragsdale last year as community members worked to circulate a petition protesting the possible location of Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility on University Boulevard. </p><p>“She was a wonderful community activist,” Tyner said. “She truly cared about her neighbors and her neighborhood.”</p><p>Ragsdale worked at UA from 1979 until her retirement in 2006. As planning officer, she oversaw library construction and renovation projects, including the construction of the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library, the Angelo Bruno Business Library, the Eric and Sarah Rodgers Library for Science and Engineering and the Libraries Annex, said UA spokeswoman Cathy Andreen. She was active in the Alabama Library Association serving on various committees, and received the University of Alabama Library Leadership Board's Faculty Award in 2004, she said.</p><p>“Kate Ragsdale played a key role in the growth and development of the university libraries in her long career as a planning officer, and had remained actively involved with the UA Retiree Association since her retirement in 2006,” Deborah M. Lane, associate vice president for university relations, wrote in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this difficult time.”</p><p>According to The Tuscaloosa News archives, Ragsdale was involved in civic organizations in Tuscaloosa for decades. She was a member of the Tuscaloosa Public Library board of directors and had been a longtime board member for West Alabama AIDS Outreach. She was an officer for the Tennis Patrons of Tuscaloosa, which sponsored a national youth tennis tournament here in the 1970s, and hosted foreign exchange students. As a member of the Junior League, she was instrumental in a program that used new methods to teach reading to elementary school students in the late 1970s.</p><p>Josephine Ayers, who lives in Anniston, knew Ragsdale as a child in North Carolina.</p><p>“Her father was in the state Legislature, so they would come to Raleigh to stay with his mother during every Legislative session,” Ayers said. “We were in kindergarten together in the 1940s and grew up together, going to Easter egg hunts, teen dances and we were debutantes together.”</p><p>Ayers hadn't seen Ragsdale in many years, but said that she and their group of friends from that time had been in touch after hearing the news of the death.</p><p>“It's just devastating,” she said.</p><p>Police have asked residents of The Highlands to not speak to the media while the investigation is ongoing. The only vehicles traveling the streets of the quiet neighborhood Monday afternoon were driven by workers from a locksmith and a burglar alarm company.</p><p>“This isn't the typical neighborhood that you find this type of crime in,” Baker said. “It's rare when you have a case like this, when an elderly person is attacked in their home by an unknown suspect. That's the worst possible crime.”</p><p>Reach Stephanie Taylor at stephanie.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0210.</p>